Voting is one of the most efficient ways to ensure that your voice is heard. Policy changes and the people who represent are voted in to do the work that best reflects your community’s needs and wants is crucial.
Of course, in the time of Coronavirus, voting is a little different. The COVID-19 pandemic has already impacted voting — with the Primary Election that was originally scheduled for June 2 rescheduled to July 7 as per an Executive Order from Governor Phil Murphy.
According to the Executive Order:
…Declared that certain elections set to take place in March and April were postponed until May 12, 2020, because allowing those elections to proceed as they were originally planned during this unprecedented COVID-19 health crisis would create hardships and health risks for voters, poll workers and candidates alike; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Executive Order No. 105 (2020), there will be no polling places in the elections now scheduled for May 12, 2020, and all registered voters will instead be receiving vote-by-mail ballots…”
Voting is certainly not the only thing coronavirus has changed. But like most things during the time of COVID — wearing masks while out in public, ordering food for takeout or delivery only, walking down the street while maintaining a six feet apart distance — we have to adjust.
When it comes to voting, you might be wondering where to go? what to do? and how to do it? But not being informed due to the changes coronavirus has caused is no excuse not to cast your vote. In fact, your vote is more important than ever! That’s why it’s crucial to know how coronavirus has impacted things like mail-in voting, social distancing voting, and of course, the new timeline for when all postponed elections are happening.
Voting timeline in Hudson County
Understanding when you need to vote is crucial, especially because coronavirus has shaken the timeline up quite a bit. The Primary Election that was originally scheduled for June 2 in New Jersey has been rescheduled to July 7.
At Vote.org, you can find out if you are already registered to vote, register to vote, choose to vote by mail, sign up for election reminders, pledge to register on your birthday if you are under 18, fill out your 2020 census, and find your polling place.
For a full Hudson County 2020 timeline, visit NJ.gov.
How do I vote during coronavirus?
You have a few options on how to vote during coronavirus. While some states are technically allowing voters to physically enter a polling place and vote while adhering to standard social distancing practices, Vote.org suggests reviewing the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions’ Recommendations on Protecting Yourself and Your Family first.
If you are not going to physically be in the location in which you are registered to vote, as always, you can request an absentee ballot. If you are going to physically be in the location in which you are registered to vote but prefer not to physically attend the polling place to cast your vote, you can request a mail-in ballot. {More info on how mail-in ballots work below.}
As part of Executive Order No. 144 signed by Gov. Murphy, the County Clerk must send all Unaffiliated and Inactive Democratic and Republican registered voters a vote-by-mail ballot for the July 7 election. The New Jersey Divison of Elections continues:
Because New Jersey is a closed Primary Election state, in order to receive a ballot, an Unaffiliated voter must choose to be affiliated with the Democratic or Republican party to receive that Party’s Vote by Mail Ballot. You may return to an Unaffiliated status following the Primary Election by completing and returning a Party Declaration Form to your County Commissioner of Registration.”
The New Jersey Division of Elections is also asking counties not to place their ballot drop boxes in front of police stations “if other locations exist that meet the Division of Elections’ guidance on availability and surveillance.” Thought the website does not directly state so, it seems that their reasoning of “in light of the current climate,” is a direct response to the country’s recent Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery.
Deadlines you need to know
June 16: Deadline for the Primary Election voter registration. Register to vote on the official website for the New Jersey Division of Elections. Scroll down to Hudson County, then choose your application in your preferred language.
June 30: Deadline for applying for a mail-in ballot. Register to vote by mail on the New Jersey Divison of Elections.
July 6: Deadline for in-person mail-in ballot applications. You can find the application for vote by mail ballot at New Jersey Divison of Elections.
July 7: It’s Primary Election Day! Polls are open from 6AM to 8PM.
October 13: Deadline for General Election voter registration.
How mail-in voting works
To vote by mail in Hudson County, you must have applied for a mail-in ballot by the deadline of June 30. When filling out your mail-in ballot, you must do so in black ink only. Also, do not detach the flap from the certificate envelope; if detached, the vote will not count.
The ballot should also be transported by you, the voter. If you are not the person transporting the ballot, the bearer portion of the ballot must be completed in front of the voter.
{Photo credit: Hudson County Clerk}
To vote, mark the ballot(s) for the candidates or questions you choose. Complete the Certificate of Mail-In Voter envelope and sign where designated. Insert the ballot(s) once it is complete in the Certificate of Mail-In Voter envelope. Seal it shut.
Insert the Certificate of Mail-In Voter envelope in the return envelope. Seal the Return Envelope. Complete the Return Envelope and affix appropriate postage if it’s going in the mail.
How social distancing voting works
According to the ESRI, social distancing practices that have now become standard during the age of COVID are going to be employed during the voting process as well. To do this, social distance voting will require polling places that have room for the appropriate social distancing practice of maintaining six feet’s distance, many counties will use geographic information system {GIS} to “modernize the polling process and increase citizen communication,” and form contingency plans to accommodate the most vulnerable populations.
Resources about voting during COVID
Need more info about voting during the time of COVID? Check out the following helpful resources:
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